Tornado destroys Panguitch non-profit office

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GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah -- Bevin Owens and her colleagues in Panguitch are working out of their homes, their cars, and a building meant for after-school programs because a tornado destroyed their social service agency on Thursday.

“Just like many of our families that face crisis, this is a crisis for us, and we're going to utilize our resources and rebuild,” Owens said.

Owens is office manager and a family resource facilitator for New Frontiers for Families, which provides mental health, substance abuse counseling, and other support services to families in need in southern Utah.

A tornado that touched down on Thursday evening tore the roof off of the large office building that housed New Frontiers and other organizations.

They have been providing some services out of a facility they use for an after-school program, but Owens says that is difficult for adults and older adolescents who come to them for counseling.

Owens says office space is hard to come by in Panguitch, and while they look, they need to replace a lot of materials they use to teach classes, including basic office supplies, clothes, blankets and other items they use to help the families who come to them for assistance.

New Frontiers has set up a GoFundMe page to collect donations to replace what they lost.